When I gave, The Green Child by Hollie Hughes and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, a review and score on another site I broke it down this way: 7 for writing; 9 for images; 7 for I couldn’t put it down; as well as a 7’s for originality and character development, with an 8 on intellectual levels. This gave it a 7.5 total rating. That was a good representative score I felt. It is solid, but not wow! Best ever. It was a cozy read, it was a fun read. It was something I could read multiple times and I have.
The first read was in an online reader, others happened after I was given a finished copy. The publisher Post Wave hadn’t really been on my radar, but after reading this delightful story, I found Theia: The Little Planet Who Made the Seasons (due October 2026; read via an online reader) Saskia Gwinn, Katie Cottle. At the same time as The Green Child the title, Something in the Darkness (out; read via online reader) and Mermaid of the Deep: The Aquatic Adventures of Dr. Sylvia Earle (out, rated 8, read by an online reader). While they all have a good upbeatness to them, even when calm, they are radically different. I like a publisher that mixes and matches but keeps steady at the same time.
When I read Theia I was tentative. I didn’t think another season and/or planet books was going to “do it’ for me. Yet, I was wrong. The boldness to things really captures what is happening. Whereas The Green Child is poetic, Theia is science with humor. It is light. Child captures seasons in a way that is romantic, sweet, and Theia tells us why they are that way. They capture science. The two books balance each other out. I gave Theia a rating of 8 as an overall feeling and didn’t break it down.
Then we have what should have been my favorite story as it is about Halloween, but it just gets a nice solid 7. Things were not unique, we have had a spooky bedtime story set in a Halloween setting before, but it was the illustrations that were nice. Better than nice. I liked the use of shadows and light, the twist at the end is ridiculously amusing and it just is good. I wanted to refresh myself on it and skimmed it and liked the images even more the second time. It was cool and warm at the same time. Joh Dougherty and Matt Schu made something that was for the holiday (sorry we just missed it), but really if you’re like me, anytime to read it is when you want to.
And onto Mermaid of the Deep. If you want a picture book biography that’s about science, women and the ocean, this is it. This book follows marine biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Many of her adventures arer obvious (a woman in a “man’s world”) and all the while you are rooting for her, and realize you can do it too, it just takes determination. Plus, you learn about someone who isn’t one of the “big lady scientists.” Back matter updates audiences on Earle’s work and includes an author’s note. Leisa Stweart-Sharpe and Khoa Lee give us a book that is fun and educational with images that are great for people who love artistic works, therefore it works on muliple levels in the classroom, school room, or personal libary. 
